Day 1. Girona city break

We’d arranged a short break to the Spanish city of Girona with a lunchtime flight from Bournemouth Airport on Dorset’s south coast. It was our third time using this airport and it’s always a pleasure as there are plenty of airside facilities and no queues.

Our Ryanair flight departed on time with a full load and it was a smooth, uneventful journey over to Girona taking one and three quarter hours. After quickly passing through the e-gates we followed signs for buses and bought two return tickets to the city centre from a kiosk near the bus stops. Sagalés operate an hourly service (Bus 602) with an adult return ticket costing €5.50. Tickets need to be validated on boarding with the journey taking only 20 minutes.

The Doubletree by Hilton, Girona

It was then a ten minute walk to our hotel, the Doubletree by Hilton Girona. Check-in was speedy and along with our room key cards, we were both given a warm, chocolate cookie which we took to our room and enjoyed with a cup of tea from the hospitality tray. The hotel opened five years ago and I was impressed with its simple yet clean lines. Our room came equipped with a 55″ television, ample storage space and a stylish bathroom.

Warm chocolate cookies handed out to guests on arrival at the hotel

It was approaching 4.30 p.m. as we set out in the warm sunshine towards Girona’s old town a 15-20 minute walk away. The stone arched Pont de Pedra (bridge of stone) is one of five bridges connecting the old city centre and ancient walls to the east with the newer part of the city to the west. As we crossed the River Onyar we caught our first glimpse of the colourful houses lining the riverbank for which the city is famous.

Crossing the River Onyar in Girona

A short distance from the bridge lies the Tourist Information Centre so we called in there to collect some leaflets and maps before following directions to the ancient city walls which were constructed between the 9th and 14th centuries and are mostly still intact today.

Walking along the old city walls in Girona

Just as we were about to climb the first flight of steps there was an untimely clap of thunder and the sunshine gave way to dark, moody skies. Thankfully, it didn’t start raining until we had neared the end of our walk along the walls and despite it being gloomy we still enjoyed some good views over the city and to the hills beyond.

The old city walls of Girona

Along the way, we passed the University of Girona and several towers with viewpoints accessed by spiral staircases. Our afternoon stroll took us to the Basilica of St. Felix and the nearby Cathedral (St. Mary of Girona) which stand proudly in the heart of the old town (Força Vella).

The Basilica of St Felix and Girona Cathedral viewed from the old city walls

The Cathedral has been built in several styles from Romanesque (the cloister and Charlemagne Tower) to the Baroque facade and steps. If you are a fan of Game of Thrones then you might recognise these steps as they were used as a filming location in Series 6.

Steps leading to the entrance of Girona Cathedral

The cathedral’s most noted feature is its large Gothic nave (15-16th century) which, at a width of 23 metres, is the widest of its kind in the world. Combined entrance tickets to both the Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Felix cost €7. More details available from the Cathedral’s own website.

Looking down from the entrance to Girona Cathedral

After leaving the cathedral the rain showers became heavier and as we were sharing one small umbrella and did not have coats we were getting quite wet so we returned to our hotel for a short rest and to dry out.

Rooftop pool at the Doubletree by Hilton Girona

Later, we ventured out once again and were pleased to note it had stopped raining. Our evening stroll took us back to the old town where we enjoyed a relaxing meal on Rambla Libertat, the pedestrianised main street just across from the Pont de Pedra which is lined with attractive bars and restaurants. We opted to eat outdoors as it was a warm, still evening and my choice of melon with Serrano ham followed by grilled hake were just right for a late evening supper.

Our generous starters on our first evening in Girona

Before returning to our hotel for the night, we wandered through the maze of narrow, cobblestone streets in the old quarter and looked forward to exploring these the next day when it was light.

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Dear Little Miss Traveller
I really enjoyed your writing on Girona. I was there a couple of years ago and also enjoyed it immensely. Thank you also for your positive feedback on so many of my travel stories!
Chris
(hallomega.com)

Looks like a good start to your trip. interesting seeing how quiet the “Games of Thrones steps” are given the popularity of the show. Admittedly I thought they were in Dubrovnik haha.
Love the look of the rooftop pool, also looking forward to seeing what else you got up to!

Thanks Jason. Girona is such an attractive city, quite different from Barcelona but equally nice. I think some scenes from a different series of Games of Thrones were also filmed in Dubrovnik so you were quite right! The pool was gorgeous!

Hello, What a gentle and instructive promenade through Girona, thank you! I was there briefly at age 10 when we took our summer vacation in Palamós on the coast. Thank you also for “visiting” with me again in Estonia.

Thank you so much for your kind words about my post on Girona. It is such a beautiful city and has remained unspoilt. I also like visiting Estonia and have taken the ferry numerous times when I have been staying in Helsinki.

Taking in the views from the old city walls of Girona is something I wanted to do for a very long time. The city looks so colourful and warm – I definitely need to visit one day. Thanks for sharing and have a good day. Aiva

Yes, I see what you mean, I don’t know why they have let it go like that. Apart from that though the city is very appealing and Girona makes for an excellent city break in its own right although it’s quite close to Barcelona. Thanks for commenting,

what a wonderful short trip. I’ve added Girona to my list of 101 walled cities to visit, thank you. It’s a perfect location in that it fulfils 4 of my Project 101 criteria (walled city, a cathedral, a river, and an ancient bridge) and if I explored further, it may add more …. Fab images and the views from the walls are fabulous

Thanks so much for your kind words Cindy. It’s so good to read that you have now added Girona to your list of walled cities to visit. I’m certain you won’t be disappointed and I hope the remaining three posts in this series provide even more inspiration for planning your trip.

Thanks Jonno. Yes Girona is great and so often overlooked by those heading to Barcelona. It’s also popular for those on cycling holidays and our hotel seemed to have quite a few amateur cyclists staying there. There was even a dedicated room for their bikes and gear.

Yes, we noticed that. There were in fact quite a number of cyclists most likely amateurs staying in our hotel and it was well organised for them with a dedicated room for their bikes etc. Thank you for taking the time to comment Sheree.